Certainty is uncertain and uncertainty is certain: one thing is for sure, we cannot know what the future holds. it is humbling and calls for appreciation of what we already have. Here is my year end poem:

Year end...
I appreciate my life,
my friends and family,
all my connections,
my self,
my creativity,
The Source,
My God,
the minute details,
the blurry edges of unknown,
the emotional blue zone,
my time,
my place,
my space,
and the sacred atmosphere
that charges my inspiration.
I appreciate my life.

Some people find this time of year hard, especially now that the pandemic is so rife, not being able to do what traditionally they always did. Some people feel that acknowledging the old year and the new year is a farce but I use it as a time to retreat and reflect. This year gives us the opportunity to ask ourselves about the past year – and the new year…

• what am I happy with?
• what am I proud of?
• what were the things I hoped for?
• what have I learnt?
• where have I grown?
• what were my relationships like?
• what would you like to let go of this year?
• what relationships do you need to invest in next year?

There is so much to think about. Of the next year I ask: what are my hopes and desires?

This is how I discern my hopes and desires:
I have found, for me, the best way is to feel with my heart into these intentions; I don’t make head decisions or new year’s resolutions as they tend to weigh me down when I can’t keep up with my resolutions and I let myself down. So I listen with my heart and get in touch with what the desires of my heart are and I invite the the flow to draw me on. First it feels like silence but as I sit and wait the trickling of ideas and inspiration comes and it is as if I “hear” the trickle of the flow; it is then, like a gentle breeze, I sense it’s direction.

I turn my face into the “wind” (turning my will intentionally to face this flow) until my hair is blowing and my ears hear the mighty roar; with my “eyes I see” the River of Life flowing. Seeing is about allowing my vision and imagery to grow. Practically I take time to journal my ideas, hopes and desires. This could be in writing or as drawings. While I stand at the foot of the waterfall it becomes obvious what direction I need to take. It is not second nature and one needs to practice “listening” to ones heart and “seeing” what is possible. It is not just an afternoon exercise but takes days of being open and aware. Over the month of December I let it mull and finally by the end of the month I have awareness of a direction. This is what I do on my retreat but you can do it any time of year.

It is easy to forsake the river and the flow and become busy with everything the world has to offer so here is my reminder I wrote for myself.

Listen, truly listen
moment by moment
to the music in my life
savoring each nuance, trill and chord
letting it resonate in the deeper parts of me

do not be distracted by the outside world

listen to the flow
and follow where it goes
committing only to be true
to what you have been called to

do not be distracted by the outside world

listening to the beating rhythm 
of the drum of time
not as a marker of what's not done
but of the pacemaker 
for the dance of your life
listen, truly listen 
keep listening
with the flow.

Happy new year to you all,

The way to negotiate uncertainty is to appreciate what we have and keep following the flow

Take care.